CONTEXT
For the 2016 Sydney Vivid Light Festival, our team created a visual production designed under the theme of 'INKCOLOGY'.
"Vivid Sydney is an annual celebration of creativity, innovation and technology which transforms Sydney for 23 days and nights. Vivid Sydney fuses art, innovation and technology in collaboration with some of the most boundary-pushing artists, thinkers, musicians and culinary experts of our time.
During the festival, the streets transform with mesmerising art displays and 3D light projections, exhilarating live music performances, thought-provoking debates, and deep-dive discussions from some of the world's brightest minds."
The theme of 'INKCOLOGY' revolved around creating with intention of representing the naturally occurring processes found in nature. Our particular project focused on conveying a message about the impact of human activity on coral reefs, leading to coral bleaching, marine endangerment, and ocean pollution.
Vivid Sydney, known for its fusion of art, technology, and innovation, provided the perfect platform to showcase our project at Central Park Mall in Sydney CBD.
APPROACH
Centred around environmental awareness, our installation explored the issues of the 'human footprint' on coral reefs ecosystems. The message we wanted to highlight were the environmental concerns that are coral bleaching, endangerment and pollution. We sought to educate and inspire viewers about marine conservation efforts while emphasising the urgent need to protect coral reef ecosystems.
FINAL PRODUCT
DESIGN CONCEPT
The installation featured an abstract representation where coral formations were symbolically painted onto a human foot covered in blue fluorescent paint.
Each stroke of paint represented coral growth and vitality. The fluorescent paint choices for the coral were carefully chosen to show that this ecosystem is at its best and abundant. This imagery against a backdrop of oceanic blues, further conveyed the vibrancy and potential of healthy coral ecosystems.
User Experience Strategy
Visual Impact: The choice of vibrant fluorescent colours and stop-motion animation aimed to captivate viewers and evoke a sense of wonder and urgency. It was a symbol of the importance of time. The growth of the coral reefs was to be interpreted as time passing over long period. The sudden change, the smoke wafting in from the right, shows the vagueness of time - whether it be minutes, days, or years.
Narrative Flow: Through deliberate use of imagery and symbolism, we aimed to engage viewers emotionally and intellectually, prompting reflection on human impact on marine life. Being one of the leading causes of Marine Pollution, the deliberate footprint shape represents the ever-growing issue in a blatant manner. The symbolism also relates to the human species and the types of negative impressions they have placed upon in endangering marine life.
Educational Component: Accompanying documentary content provided insights into the installation's creation process, enhancing understanding of the project's message and artistic approach.
Documentary
To provide a comprehensive overview of the "Blueprint of the Ocean" project, a detailed documentary was produced. This video serves to document our entire design process, from initial research and data analysis to the final visualisation. The documentary highlights the challenges we faced, the methodologies we employed, and the insights we gained along the way. It aims to clearly demonstrate how our visualisation works, the symbolism behind it, and its significance in understanding potentially hazardous asteroids. Through this documentary, viewers can grasp the complexity and importance of our project, as well as the impact of our innovative visualisation on public awareness and scientific understanding.
IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT
The installation successfully engaged Vivid festival attendees with its powerful visual narrative, sparking discussions about environmental stewardship and prompting reflection on individual actions affecting marine ecosystems.
CONCLUSION
Our 'INKCOLOGY' installation at Vivid Sydney exemplified our team's commitment to leveraging art and technology for environmental advocacy. By blending creativity with educational storytelling, we aimed to inspire action and awareness around marine conservation issues.
GROUP MEMBERS: Nina Osada-Phornsiri, Isabella Micallef & Gawshika Aumkaran
Created at the University of Sydney, in partnership with the Sydney Vivid Light Festival 2016